Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A number of scientific methods have been developed to detect and/or measure one or more analytes in a person's blood. The presence or absence of a physiologically relevant analyte in the blood, or the presence at a particular concentration or range of concentrations, may be indicative of a medical condition or the person's state of health. Physiologically relevant analytes may include enzymes, hormones, proteins, cells or other molecules.
In a typical scenario, a person's blood is drawn and sent to a lab where a variety of tests are performed to measure various analyte levels and parameters in the blood. The variety of tests may be referred to as “blood work,” where the blood is tested for the presence of various diseases, or analyte levels such as cholesterol levels, etc. For most people, the blood tests are infrequent, and an abnormal analyte level indicative of a medical condition may not be identified for some time after the blood work is performed. Physiologically relevant analytes may also be present in a person's interstitial fluid. These analytes include sugars, salts, fatty acids, amino acids, coenzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and cell waste products. In analyzing for the presence and/or concentration of analytes from blood and other fluids, hypodermic needles are typically used which can cause pain, wounds, and potential infection sites in patients. A device and method that avoids the use of hypodermic needles and reduces the need for medical personnel and administration costs is desirable.